Something Scandalous

“Then why would you think you are manipulating me?” Wi

ll asked. “I felt as if I had taken advantage of your pain when we made love the first time.”

“You most certainly did not,” she said.

“Then why do you think…” He paused, and then said, “You were ashamed.”

“Oh, Will, I made love to you and honestly, at that point, I did not love you.” Elizabeth curled closer to him and skimmed her fingers through the dark hairs on his chest. “I could not understand why after twenty-six years, I would do something like that with a man I did not love.”

His lips lifted upwards. “So you assumed you must have had an ulterior motive.”

She nodded against his chest. “I had never experienced desire like I do with you. Sophie told me a few times to seduce you, but I could not go through with it until that day.”

“Sophie told you to seduce me?”

“Yes. She is a bit of a matchmaker. I don’t think she had any reason other than wanting to see me happy.”

“And are you?” he whispered.

Elizabeth moved over him and smiled as she felt the rough hairs on his chest. “Very happy. At least, I think I am. Are you angry about tonight?”

“How exactly did you plan this? I had no intention of coming here tonight. My carriage took a detour and I decided to come in for a drink.”

“A drink? I thought this was a brothel.”

“True. So how did you get here?” he asked, caressing her cheek with the palm of his hand.

She explained Somerton’s sudden appearance at Sophie’s house.

“But how did…never mind, I think I know,” Will muttered.

“How?”

“He seems rather close with Lady Whitely. I presume she sent him a note stating I was here.”

“Why would she care?” Elizabeth asked.

Will shrugged. “I do not understand half of what Somerton does.”

“He told me I was to come here to keep you from making a big mistake. What mistake was he talking about?” Elizabeth asked, caressing his jaw.

“I believe he thought I was going to use one of Lady Whitely’s girls.”

“Were you?” she whispered.

Will closed his eyes. “I don’t know. I planned on leaving and tried a few times. But I never seemed to make it out the door. And when I saw this,” he said, kissing her heart-shaped mole, “I knew it was you all along.”

“Were you mad?”

“Only for a moment. I realized you must love me quite a bit if you were willing to sacrifice your reputation to come here for me.”

“I do, Will.”

“I love you, too, Elizabeth.”

“What about my father?” she mumbled. “I really am no one. Just the daughter of a footman.”

He pulled her up and kissed her softly. “It doesn’t matter to me who you are. The ton considers you the daughter of the Duke of Kendal. No one but us needs to know the truth.”